Do Ragdoll Cats Smell?

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Ragdoll cats are popular with pet owners loving their soft fur and loving personalities. Some new to Ragdolls are surprised when their cats start stinking. Many wonder if the odor is specific to the Ragdoll variety or if it’s something all cats have. 

Do Ragdoll cats smell? Some do but a strong smell is not specific to the breed. Some Ragdoll cats may smell because of how they urinate or because their grooming habits are effective. 

 

Every Ragdoll is Different

 

Every cat is different just like all people, even those within the same family, are different. One Ragdoll owner told how her two 8-month-old Ragdoll kittens had two opposite grooming styles. 

The male urinated heavily and close to the litter, leading to urine in his fur. To make matters worse, he didn’t clean himself in that area. His sister, however, was more thorough in keeping herself clean. 

Additionally, the female had less long hair and didn’t urinate as heavily as her brother. The result was the male always had a stinky odor while the female smells fresh. 

The owner of the two said she cut back the male’s hair but he still had a locker room type of smell. There weren’t many solutions to this lady’s problem except clipping the hair in the area further and giving the kitten waterless baths. 

 

Why Do Cats Stink?

 

Ragdolls, or any other cat, can get smelly for several reasons. It could be the food causing foul breath, or them rolling on gross things, urination, poop getting into their fur or illness. 

The way to figure out a solution to the stink is to isolate what appears to be causing the odor. You may have to do a bit of detective work to determine exactly where it’s originating. Determining whether the odor comes from the cat’s head, rear, coat, or is just an all-over smell will help in your deducing. 

 

Mouth Odors

Some cats’ breath may smell like the food they ate and that sometimes has a fishy smell, especially if it’s canned food. However, bad breath all the time isn’t normal. It could be dental disease or mouth ulcers or wounds. 

 

Rear Smell

Cats can have flatulence so that’s normal but consistent gas could be a stomach or intestine issue. Loose stool around the rear end could mean there’s diarrhea. Liquid stool indicates a constipation problem. 

Anal glands in a cat are small sacs outside the anus and they can release fluid during fear or stress that has a fishy smell. Sometimes, they can be infected, inflamed, or impacted. The glands may secret really foul-smelling fluid and the smell lingers.

All of these types of problems will require a visit to the vet. 

 

Skin and Coat Problems

An all-over odor may indicate a skin or fur problem. A cat that looks clean or still smells after a bath may have an underlying condition. Also, look for skin infections. Bacterial or fungal growth can cause odors. 

One symptom is if your hands have a smelly, greasy coating on them after petting your cat. Look for wounds on the skin too. An infection would cause the smell.

 

Ear Stink

Stinky ears may indicate an ear infection or ear mites. Another sign is head shaking or scratching. Look inside and clean them to see if that helps. 

 

Urinary Issues

Urinary problems will have a heavy ammonia smell. Sometimes, cats will have this smell when their litter box hasn’t been changed regularly. Change the box and clean it clean to see if that reduced the smell. 

Take your cat to the vet if the smell continues.

 

Bathing Your Ragdoll Cat

 

Cats need baths just as all pets do but cats are typically difficult to bath. Products exist that help makes it easier and some require no water. Pet owners say bathing doesn’t do a lot to enhance the look of a Ragdoll cat but does make them smell better and gives more fluff to their fur. 

 

How Often Should a Ragdoll Cat Be Groomed?

 

Ragdoll cats are easy to keep groomed despite their long fur coats. You should brush your cat about five minutes daily to keep their coat clean and looking good. 

Baths don’t need to be on a regular schedule. Bath them whenever they get significantly dirty. You should also trim their nails and brush their teeth regularly, although that doesn’t need to be daily or weekly.

 

How do I get my cat to smell better?

 

One of the reasons most cats smell is because they use the litter box and it can get stinky fast. Besides changing the litter, make sure to scrub out the box weekly. Use a cleanser that neutralizes odors to wash the box out. 

You can also use disposable liners that will cut down on some of the box mess. Newer litters also have deodorizers in them and that can help. However, some cats don’t like litter that has those types of smells. 

 

Do Ragdoll cats pass gas?

 

Yes, Ragdoll cats will pass gas. All cats will. However, it isn’t that often. You won’t hear it and probably won’t smell it either as most cat gas is odorless. 

 

Why does my cat smell like poop?

 

The first place to check is their rear end. It may have poop or pee stains on the fur. Those who let their cat explore outside will find it coming in smelly sometimes. That’s because they either roll around on something dead or another animal’s poop or have made contact with a feral cat.

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